Buckingham Palace

The next architecturally marvellous building that I want to talk about here on Al Free Thought is Buckingham Palace. I’m sure many of you who are reading this are aware of what Buckingham Palace is, but if you are not then let me give you a very quick description and summary. The Palace is the official administrative and residential property of the current and future monarchs of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth the II. That is the official description but I will say that I think to this day it is a myth that the queen actually lives there, and it is more for show for tourists and visitors.

Nevertheless, it is an official royal residence that can still be used by her, and it is actually the centre of state occasions and hospitality for the royals and by the royals. It is also the national focus point whenever there is a time for national mourning and celebrations. The reason that I wanted to talk about the Palace today is because as an architectural building, it really is an outstanding feat, and there are not many buildings around the world with the same grandiose and beauty.

The story of the Palace is actually quite interesting, since although many see it as old as the Palace of Westminster, the true story is that it is relatively young. It was originally named Buckingham House, and it was the large townhouse of the Duke of Buckingham. It was not the size it is currently, and the majority of it has been built around the townhouse since then.

The Building itself

It was originally built as a townhouse in 1703, and have been on a site that had been purchased for private ownership. King George III was the original monarch to purchase the land and the house that sat upon it in 1761, and he bought it for Queen Charlotte. It was only during the 19th Century that the house was extended by architects, who built three separate wings around a central courtyard. With the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne of the United Kingdom, the Palace as it was becoming the official London residence of the British monarchs.

The structure of the Palace itself was once again made, with additions being completed throughout the palace from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. One such addition during this time frame was the East front, famously known for the balcony in which the monarch greets the crowds below. After these additions and during WWII, the Palace was one of the main targets for the German air force to bomb, with the palace chapel being one of the structures to be damaged during these bombings. This was then replaced with the Queen’s Gallery; a royal collection of art works to be placed into.

The building itself is a truly magnificent one. After centuries of additions and surviving weather conditions and even warfare for the most part, the fact that the building is still standing to this day should speak volumes. I hope that you have enjoyed today blog posts and will continue to enjoy many others that we will be bringing out in the future. I also hope you enjoyed some of the posts I have made in the past too!